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Date:         Sun, 4 Feb 2007 10:41:31 -0800
Reply-To:     Pensioner <al_knoll@PACBELL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Pensioner <al_knoll@PACBELL.NET>
Subject:      Struttin' yer stuff
In-Reply-To:  <200702041757.l14HvkuY032546@flpvm17.prodigy.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Yank out that old Statics text. Get the yardstick (non bendable measuring device usually made of wood 'meterstick' in metriclands) Get a soft pencil #1 will do. Get some removable tape (drafting tape) Scotch blue masking tape. You are going to figger out where to place the ends of those struts. First you'll need to decide how long the strut should be. (Kim uses 40", McMaster Carr stocks a 27 and many other sizes.)

Recalling that the strut has a minimum (collapsed) length and a maximum (extended) length you can approximate the locations by using your yardstick to find locations that will allow almost full extension and almost full collapsed lengths. The extended length is that length measured when the roof is in it's "upright and locked" position. The retracted length is the distance between the mountpoints when the roof is down.

I would start with the retracted length and

You need to approximate the weight of the loaded top. You can do this by weighing it with an overhead spring balance (imagination comes into play here). Once you know the Loaded and the Empty weights as mounted on the roof, you have the boundary conditions for the lifting parameters. Much easier to just measure the weights as mounted on the roof rather than try to calculate the geometries and equivalences.

NB the roof is hinged at one end so it's not a 'dead' lift. You will need to know how much force it takes to raise the front edge of the roof when loaded. This force decreases somewhat as the roof is raised. (geometry again) You can do the relevant center of mass calculations and predict the lifting force but it's likely easier to just measure.

EG: If it takes 100lbs of lifting force to raise the loaded roof from the front and it takes 50 lbs to raise the unloaded roof from the front, you have the end points of the exercise. Looking at the geometry and moving the lifting point farther to the rear so as to allow the use of a 27" fully extended strut you can arrive at various solutions with respect to mounting points. Each solution will have differing lifting forces because of the position of the roof mounting point.


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